Returning starter at "Mike" linebacker who earned first team All-America honors a year ago ... Is considered one of the nation's top defensive players heading into the 2006 season ... Did not participate in spring drills due to having foot surgery ... Expected to be at full strength for what should be an outstanding senior season ... A linebacker who can do it all ... Has great speed and quickness and is a tremendous hitter ... A leader both on the field and off the field ... Heavily involved in community service ... Received the 2006 Chucky Mullins Courage Award ... Named preseason first team All-American and No. 1 inside linebacker in the nation by The Sporting News, Lindy's and CollegeFootballNews.com ... Selected as a preseason All-America by Playboy and a First Team honoree by NationalChamps.net ... Named to Watch Lists for the Bednarik Award, Rotary Lombardi Award and the Lott Trophy ... Also picked by Lindy's as the preseason SEC Defensive Player of the Year and was ranked No. 4 of 10 on its Bronko Nagurski Watch list ... Named Most Valuable Ole Miss Player by Lindy's, which also ranked him No. 5 on its SEC Top 10 NFL Talent list ... Rated No. 10 on SI.com's "Best College Football Players of 2006," the highest among six players from the SEC ... Chosen preseason First Team All-SEC by The Sporting News, Lindy's and Phipps Football Magazines ... Named to 2006 SEC "Good Works" team. 2005: Named First Team All-America by CollegeFootballNews.com and the All-American Football Foundation ... Earned First Team All-SEC honors from Associated Press, SEC Coaches, CollegeFootballNews.com and Rivals.com ...Was the 2005 NCAA Division I-A statistical champion for solo tackles (9.0) ... Garnered Second Team All-America distinction from Walter Camp Football Foundation, The Associated Press, SI.com and Rivals.com ... Named SEC Defensive Player of the Year by CollegeFootballNews.com and Scout.com ... Semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award ... Finalist for the Conerly Trophy as Mississippi's top player ... CollegeFootballNews.com distinguished him as the SEC Top Linebacker and SEC No. 2 Rated Player Regardless of Position ... Member of the All-Mayday Team ... Led the SEC in total tackles at 12.80 per game, which placed him sixth nationally ... His 90 solo stops was the second-most by a Rebel since 1968, two shy of Kem Coleman's 1976 mark ... Finished season with 128 total tackles, 9.5 TFLs, three sacks, three pass-break-ups, two QB hurries, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception ... Started 10 games, missing the Wyoming game (9/24) with injury ... In his nine complete games of play, Willis averaged 13.7 tackles and totaled 9.5 TFLs ... Played with a broken middle finger on his right hand, a sprained left knee, a right mid-foot sprain and a partial AC joint separation of his right shoulder ... Spent much of the year with a club covering his right hand ... Led a Rebel defense that finished 14th in the nation in pass defense, 27th in total defense and 31st in scoring defense ... Earned his third letter ... at Memphis (9/5): Made first career start ... Recorded 15 tackles with a forced fumble and two tackles for loss ... Directed a Rebel defense that contained Tiger All-American RB DeAngelo Williams under 100 yards rushing for only the third time in his last 23 games ... Named SEC Defensive Player of the Week and Rebel Quarterback Club Defensive Player of the Week ... at Vanderbilt (9/17): Totaled five solo tackles before leaving in the second quarter with injury ... at Tennessee (10/1): Returned to the starting lineup after missing two weeks of practice and the Wyoming game with injury ... Led the Rebels against the ninth-ranked Volunteers with 14 tackles (10 solo) with two TFLs ... Earned Rebel Quarterback Club Defensive Player of the Week honors ... vs. Alabama (10/15): Posted 15 tackles with 2.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks .... Led the Ole Miss defense in holding the Crimson Tide to a season-low ... Led the Ole Miss defense in holding the Crimson Tide to a season-low 13 points and 121 rushing yards ... vs. Kentucky (10/22): Registered 14 tackles with two QB hurries, a pass break-up and a half sack ... Directed a Rebel defense that limited the Wildcats to one score and 256 yards of offense while forcing three turnovers ... at Auburn (10/29): Recorded 13 stops and made his third QB sack of the year ... vs. Arkansas (11/12): Posted a game-high nine stops with a fumble recovery ... Helped shut down the SEC's top rushing attack, holding the Razorbacks to 89 yards, 163 yards below their season average ... Named Rebel Quarterback Club Defensive Player of the Week ... vs. LSU (11/18): Tied his career high for total tackles with 15, including 11 solos ... Also forced a fumble and had a pass break-up ... at Mississippi State (11/26): Tallied 11 solo stops and hauled in his first career interception ... Spring 2005: Earned the Jeff Hamm Memorial Award as the Most Improved Defensive Player of spring drills ... Nailed down starting spot at middle linebacker ... Named first team preseason All-SEC West by Phipps Football Magazine. 2004: Earned honorable mention All-SEC honors from The Associated Press ... Appeared in 10-of-11 games ... Did not see action at Wyoming (9/25) ... Earned his second letter ... Recorded 70 tackles (54 solo) ... Led team with 11.0 TFLs (-62 yards) and five QB sacks (-39 yards) ... Tied for the team lead with four QB pressures ... Also recorded one pass deflection, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery ... vs. Memphis (9/4): Recorded eight hits (five solo), including one TFL (-3 yards) ... vs. Vanderbilt (9/18): Credited with a team-high seven tackles (four solo) and recorded his first career QB sack (-9 yards) ... vs. Arkansas State (10/2): Credited with two stops (one solo) and had one pass deflection ... Recovered his first career fumble in the third quarter to set-up Brandon Jacobs' three-yard TD run to extend the Rebels' lead to 28-14 in the 28-21 win ... at South Carolina (10/9): Made eight tackles, including being credited with a career-high three TFLs (-13 yards) ... Also recorded one QB sack (-5 yards) ... Named the Quarterback Club Defensive Player of the Week ... at Arkansas (11/13): Tallied a career-high 13 stops (eight solo), including two TFLs (-5 yards) ... Earned Quarterback Club Defensive Player of the Week honors ... at LSU (11/20): Recorded 12 stops (nine solo), including tying a career high with three TFLs (-20 yards) ... Also set a career high with two QB sacks (-13 yards) and was credited with one QB pressure ... vs. Mississippi State (11/27): Registered a team-high nine tackles, including one QB sack (-12 yards) ... Also credited with a career-high three QB pressures ... Spring 2004: Had five tackles in Red-Blue Game, including one hit behind the line for a minus one yard. 2003: Played in all 13 games ... Earned his first letter ... Made 20 stops (16 solo), including one TFL (-6 yards) and had one QB pressure ... at Vanderbilt (8/30): Made his collegiate debut and recorded one solo tackle ... vs. Louisiana-Monroe (9/13): Credited with three stops (two solo), including one TFL (-6 yards) and one QB pressure ... vs. Arkansas State (10/11): Made a season-high five solo tackles ... vs. Alabama (10/18): Credited with three stops (two solo) and was named the Special Teams Player of the Week by the Quarterback Club ... Received Scholar-Athlete Award from the Ole Miss Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. HIGH SCHOOL: Class "A" Mr. Football in Tennessee ... Two-time All-State selection ... Regional Most Valuable Player ... West Tennessee Player of the Year ... As a junior, was named All-State, All West Tennessee, and Regional Defensive Player of the Year ... Was All-Region and honorable mention All-State as a sophomore and All-Region as a freshman ... During senior season, had 194 carries for 2,167 yards and 30 TDs on offense ... Defensively, was credited with 163 tackles, including 36 for losses, while racking up 12 QB sacks and four pass interceptions, returning one for a TD ... Career statistics included 276 carries for 2,486 yards and 39 TDs ... Averaged 9 yards per carry ... Had 51 pass receptions for 946 yards and 17 TDs to average 18.5 yards per catch ... Had 494 career tackles, including 275 solo hits, as well as 23 QB sacks, 46 tackles for loss, and 13 pass interceptions, with six returned for TDs ... Scored 392 career points (62 TDs, 1 PAT, 3 two-point conversion, 1 field goal, 2 safeties) ... Compiled 3,944 all-purpose yards ... Helped lead Central High to 2001 and 2002 Regional Championship and State Quarter-finalist ... Central was a 1999 state semifinalist ... Earned four letters in football ... Coached in high school by Rod Sturdivant ... Also earned four letters in basketball and three in baseball ... Averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds, 24 points and 11 rebounds, 18 points and eight rebounds during basketball career ... Picked up All-District, All-Region, District Most Valuable Player, All-West Tennessee, and honorable mention All-State honors in basketball ... Was All-District in baseball ... Named Mr. Central High School. PERSONAL: Guardians are Chris and Julie Finley ... Son of Ernest Willis ... Full name is Patrick L. Willis ... Born: January 25, 1985 ... College of Liberal Arts ... Made the Chancellor's Honor Roll in Fall of 2003. WILLIS' CAREER STATISTICS
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